DANCER; KENYATTA ARRIVING IN OPEN CAR AND BEING GREETED BY ARMY COMMANDER AND DEFENCE CHIEF; CROWD; KENYATTA MOUNTING DAIS; MINISTER NGEI LEADING APPLAUSE BY CROWD; KENYATTA SPEAKING; DANCERS PERFORMING; KENYATTA PRESENTED WITH GIFTS WHILE CROWDS WATCH.




Initials EH/VS/MR/SGM



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Background: PRESIDENT KENYATTA, APPEARING AT A MASS RALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ASSASSINATION OF ECONOMICS MINISTER TOM M'BOYA FOUR WEEKS AGO. YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) ADDRESSED LARGE CROWDS IN MACHAKOS, 40 MILES FROM NAIROBI.

THE OCCASION WAS THE LAYING OF A FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE MACHAKOS DISTRICT HOSPITAL FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING OF A NURSERY SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CENTRE. AMONG THOSE PRESENT WERE SEVERAL CABINET MINISTERS, INCLUDING MR PAUL NGEI, MINISTER FOR HOUSING, AS WELL AS THE COMMANDER OF THE ARMY AND THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF GENERAL NDOLO.

PRESIDENT KENYATTA, AND THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED IN THE STADIUM TO HEAR HIS ADDRESS, WERE ENTERTAINED BY TRIBAL CANCERS, PERFORMING INDIVIDUALLY AND IN MASSED GROUPS. A PRESENTATION OF GIFTS TO THE PRESIDENT FORMED PART OF THE PROGRAMME.

AFTER THE RALLY AT THE STADIUM, PRESIDENT KENYATTA LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE NEW SELF-HELP WARDS OF THE MACHAKOS DISTRICT HOSPITAL. FROM THERE, THE PRESIDENTIAL PARTY WENT ON TO THE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL NURSERY SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CENTRE, WHERE THE PRESIDENT UNVEILED A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE AND DECLARED THE SELF-HELP CENTRE OPEN. TRADITIONAL DANCING, AND A PERFORMANCE BY DISTRICT SCHOOL CHOIRS, CONCLUDED THE DAY'S PROGRAMME. PRESIDENT KENYATTA RETURNED TO HIS GATUNDU RESIDENCE IN THE AFTERNOON.